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Design Competition: Reimagine the Actual Budget Sidenav

· 3 min read
Matiss Janis Aboltins
Matiss Janis Aboltins
Actual Budget Maintainer

The sidenav is one of the most-used parts of Actual Budget. It's how you jump between your budget, reports, schedules, and accounts; and it's the first thing you see every time you open the app. We think it's time to give it some love, and we want the community to lead the way.

So we're running a design competition. The top 10 designs get free Actual Budget swag, and the winning design gets built into the app.

What We're Looking For​

We want fresh thinking on how navigation in Actual Budget should look and feel. There's no single "right" answer. We're interested in seeing a range of ideas, from subtle refinements to bold rethinks.

A few things worth keeping in mind as you design (these are constraints, not a checklist):

  • The sidenav has to handle the core navigation: budget, reports, schedules, payees, rules, settings, and bank sync, alongside the list of accounts (incl. closed).
  • The account list is open-ended. Some people have three accounts, some have thirty. On-budget and off-budget accounts need to be distinguishable, and account balances are often shown inline. Bank sync status is also crucial.
  • It needs to work across light and dark themes (and our other color themes).
  • Accessibility matters: keyboard navigation, focus states, and reasonable contrast.
  • AI usage is allowed.

How to Enter​

Submit your design through this form:

🎨 Submit your design here

You can submit as many designs as you like. If you have three different directions, send all three as separate entries.

Polished Figma files are welcome but not required. A clear annotated mockup is perfectly fine.

Timeline​

  • Submissions open: 27th June, 2026
  • Submission deadline: 27th July, 2026
  • Public voting: approx 3rd August, 2026
  • Winner announced: shortly after voting closes

How It Works​

  1. Submit your design(s) through the form before the deadline.
  2. We shortlist internally. After the deadline, the maintainers will review every entry and pick the strongest designs — up to 10 finalists.
  3. The community votes. The finalists go up as GitHub issues, and anyone can vote by reacting (👍) to their favorites. Voting runs for one week.
  4. The winner gets built. The top-voted design will be implemented into Actual Budget.

Prizes​

  • The winning design gets implemented in Actual Budget. Your work will be shipped to everyone who uses the app.
  • Everyone in the top 10 gets free Actual Budget swag. Make the shortlist and we'll send something your way.

Voting​

When the finalists are announced, each design will be posted as a GitHub issue. To vote, just add a 👍 reaction to the designs you like best. We'll tally reactions at the end of the voting week.

We'll share the direct links to the voting issues here and in our community channels once the shortlist is set.

Questions?​

If anything's unclear, ask in the Actual Budget Discord community. We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Happy designing!